System and method for monitoring and managing information

Abstract

A system and related method has a database that stores information indicative of a plurality of assets that are used in a building or system. A user interface of the system enables identifying a group of such assets and associating a portion of the assets with the identified group of assets. The assets included in the identified group of assets may collectively be located in different rooms of a building in which the assets are located and/or on different floors of a building in which the assets are located.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a database that stores information indicative of a plurality of assets that are used in a building or system;   a user interface that enables:   identifying a group of assets from said plurality of assets; and   associating a portion of said plurality of assets with said identified group of assets.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said system further enables assigning a custom property to said identified group of assets. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said system enables associating additional information with said identified group of assets. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said system further maintains a plurality of work orders, wherein said system associates with said identified group of assets any work orders of said plurality of work orders that relate to any asset in said identified group of assets. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said any work orders of said plurality of work orders that relate to any asset in said identified group of assets are displayed in conjunction with information indicative of said identified group of assets. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said system generates a trendline for at least one asset in said identified group of assets, wherein said generated trendline is indicative of a performance of said at least one asset. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said system generates a trendline that is representative of an operational characteristic of a plurality of assets in said identified group. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said identifying a group of assets of said plurality of assets comprises identifying all assets in at least one of an air handling loop, a plumbing system, a sewage system, a piping system, an HVAC system, a fire suppression system, a fire alarm system, a security system, an IT system, a wireless network, a wired network, a plurality of door hardware assets, a plurality of door security assets, a plurality of card reader assets, a plurality of closed-circuit television (CCTV) assets, a video system, and a monitoring network. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said portion of said plurality of assets that are associated with said identified group of assets are collectively located in a plurality of different rooms of a building in which said assets are located. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said portion of said plurality of assets that are associated with said identified group of assets are collectively located on a plurality of different floors of a building in which said assets are located. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 storing in a database information that is indicative of a plurality of assets that are used in a building or system;   using a graphical user interface, identifying a group of assets from said plurality of assets that are used in a building or system; and   associating a portion of said plurality of assets with said identified group of assets.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said method further comprises assigning a custom property to said identified group of assets. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said method further comprises associating additional information with said identified group of assets. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said method further comprises maintaining a plurality of work orders and associating with said identified group of assets any work orders of said plurality of work orders that relate to any asset in said identified group of assets. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said method further comprises displaying, in conjunction with information indicative of said identified group of assets, any work orders of said plurality of work orders that relate to any asset in said identified group of assets. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said method comprises generating a trendline for at least one asset in said identified group of assets, wherein said generated trendline is indicative of a performance of said at least one asset. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said method comprises generating a trendline that is representative of an operational characteristic of a plurality of assets in said identified group. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said identifying a group of assets of said plurality of assets comprises identifying all assets in an air handling loop, a plumbing system, a sewage system, a piping system, an HVAC system, a fire suppression system, a fire alarm system, a security system, an IT system, a wireless network, a wired network, a plurality of door hardware assets, a plurality of door security assets, a plurality of card reader assets, a plurality of closed-circuit television (CCTV) assets, a video system, and a monitoring network. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said portion of said plurality of assets that are associated with said identified group of assets are collectively located in at least one of (i) a plurality of different rooms of a building in which said assets are located and (ii) a plurality of different floors of a building in which said assets are located. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transient computer readable medium containing program instructions, wherein execution of the program instructions by one or more processors of a computer system causes the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:
 storing in a database information that is indicative of a plurality of assets that are used in a building or system;   using a graphical user interface, identifying a group of assets from said plurality of assets that are used in a building or system; and   associating a portion of said plurality of assets with said identified group of assets.